


Afterglow

by Katzedecimal



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Blood, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:54:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24765763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katzedecimal/pseuds/Katzedecimal
Summary: Heaven had plans for the Host.  Hell got wind of it and planned an ambush, then Earthly Affairs got wind of that and planned another ambush.  Then one Principality got wind of all of that and planned an ambush of his own.  Stuff happened.  And then, the Serpent escaped.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 86





	Afterglow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PeniG](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeniG/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Safe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774771) by [PeniG](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeniG/pseuds/PeniG). 



> Inspired by [_Safe_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774771) and by [_Defining Frivolous_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20773853), both by PeniG. If you haven't discovered her writing by now, go do so. Now. Shoo. Go read the good fics.

_”It’s over,”_ Crowley had said suddenly.

Aziraphale had nodded, _“I suppose I’ve kept you captive long enough.”_

The ground crumbled open and three demons rose up, blocking Crowley’s path. _Here it comes,_ he thought. Hastur, he expected. Dagon was not much of a surprise. Beelzebub, though… _Better make this look good._

“Where have **you** been?” Dagon hissed nastily.

Hastur sneered, “You missed quite the party.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Crowley said, nodding at their clothes, “You’re sporting a few new wounds.”

“Everyone was there.”

“Except **you,** ” Beelzebub finished.

“Yeah, only got ambushed, didn’t I?”

Dagon blinked, “What?”

“That bloody principality ambushed me!” Crowley explained, “I’ve been his captive the entire time!”

“And you didn’t try to escape?” Dagon asked suspiciously.

“No, I didn’t try to escape, not once I figured out what was going on! What do you take me for?”

Beelzebub frowned, “Why not?”

Crowley threw up his hands in exasperation, “Do you lot not read my reports? Are you even listening to me when I tell you about Aziraphale?? If I’d escaped, he’d have gone to join the ‘party!’ Do you think I **wanted** that? I was trying to prevent that! Hastur, **you** know - tell them!”

Hastur shifted uncomfortably. True, his… encounters with the Principality Aziraphale had… not ended as he had expected them to. His black jelly eyes flicked at the two senior demons and he dug his toes into the dirt. “My… past encounters were… much as Crowley has described,” he admitted finally. Crowley lifted his chin.

“You did **not** want him joining that battle,” Crowley insisted, “Once I learned what it was about, I wasn’t leaving. I kept him occupied and away from Heaven’s forces. Once it was over, I took advantage of that archangel Sandalphon coming in search of him, as my chance to escape.”

Dagon abruptly looked smug, “Sandalphon, eh? Notice anything about him?”

“Well I wasn’t sticking around to find out. Why?” Dagon opened her palm with a ferocious grin, revealing a tooth stained with angelic ichor. Crowley gaped at it. “No!” He looked up at her, “That’s his?” She nodded. “You scored coup off of Sandalphon?” Her grin showed even more teeth. “Bloody well done, my Lord!”

“Did **you** score anything off the Principality?”

“As a matter of fact,” Crowley reached into his purse and drew out a white feather in a white silk scarf, both stained with half-dried angelic ichor, “I did.”

Dagon and Beelzebub looked grudgingly impressed. Hastur scowled.

“Well done,” Beelzebub said finally, “What do you require to recuperate from your ordeal at the angel’s hands?”

“A few days’ Sloth,” Crowley replied, “Just a quiet place to go brumate for a while. Maybe a bottle of wine or two.”

“Your next assignment will suit you, then,” Beelzebub decided.

Hastur gaped, “I thought we were going to-” He broke off at Beelzebub’s withering stare.

“Don’t be zzzstupid.” Ze looked at Crowley again, “You will receive your next assignment at the end of the week. Congratulations on your trophy.” 

Crowley bowed deeply and, with a final glare, the demons sunk back into the earth. When he was well and truly certain they were gone, Crowley grinned. 

He looked at the feather again in its stained silk wrapping, remembering. Walking down the steps of a heavily-warded boat into the bizarrely-decorated cabin. Seeing Aziraphale. Seeing what Aziraphale _wanted_ , and what Aziraphale wanted was to give Crowley what **he** wanted - Aziraphale.

 _”You’ll feel used.”_ Nope, definitely not. _”The feelings don’t match up.”_ Perhaps not. Perhaps Aziraphale didn’t love Crowley the way that Crowley loved Aziraphale (and he had long ago given up denying it, finally forced to admit it to himself during that wonderful trip through the Islamic countries after the most fun wash-out of a mission ever as ladies-in-waiting in Queen Emma’s retinue.) But he knew, now, with utter certainty, that Aziraphale _cared_ about Crowley. Cared to lure him into perfect safety, cared to want him to experience happiness for possibly the first time in his existence, cared to give him space to soothe all the hurts of his battered soul and bind them up with kisses and song, cared to offer what Crowley had yearned for the most, in a splendour of satin and wings and and… and… 

Perhaps Aziraphale didn’t love Crowley the way that Crowley loved Aziraphale. But he knew now, with utter certainty, that he _was_ loved.

* * * *

“I _told_ you,” Sandalphon seethed, “I **told** you what would happen if you didn’t show up.”

Aziraphale stood his ground, “Oh, I’m sorry, did you **want** the Serpent of Eden joining Hell’s forces?”

“Where have you **been?** ” 

“I just told you, I’ve been right here. I caught the demon Crowley in my trap and kept him captive on my boat. What happened to your tooth?”

Sandalphon touched his swollen face and scowled, “Never mind my tooth! Where is the demon now?”

“He got away.”

“You let him go?!”

“Well I might not have if _somebody_ hadn’t restricted my miracle usage with a geas!” Oh that felt good. Sandalphon couldn’t even grind his teeth in frustration because his mouth hurt so much. Aziraphale pressed his advantage, “You did **not** want that demon joining in your ‘equinox party,’ Sandalphon. The Serpent of Eden holds a particular grudge against **you** , specifically.”

Gratifying to see Sandalphon blanch for an instant. “What? Why?”

“She has _never_ forgotten that time when you incinerated Sodom and Gomorrah. She had operations there.”

“And I thwarted her!” Sandalphon said smugly.

“She took it personally,” Aziraphale countered, “Do you not actually _listen_ when I tell you of what Crowley is capable of?”

“I can handle that demon!”

“Really? Because the whole reason he’s **not** here now is because **you** distracted me and gave him his opportunity to escape!” A leaden silence fell. Sandalphon’s jaw worked, frustration alternating with the pain of his missing tooth. “I had Crowley well in hand,” Aziraphale said in a low voice, “I did my duty. I kept him from joining his fellows. I kept him from taking his revenge. Until _you_ came along, blustergussing away, and now he’s gone. And because of you, I couldn’t stop him from doing _this._ ” And he stretched out one ichor-stained wing.

Sandalphon swallowed then huffed out his nose. “Gabriel’s going to hear about this!” he snarled.

Aziraphale’s voice was cold, “Oh, I’m certain he shall.” He stared levelly at Sandalphon until the archangel broke. With a pained snarl, he twitched his wings and vanished.

Aziraphale exhaled a long breath and went back down into the cabin of his boat. It smelled of wine and cheese and… other pleasures.

His wing still stung from where Crowley had taken the feather. _”It’ll look good,”_ the demon had said, _”They’re big on taking trophies.”_

 _”You’d best take a blood feather, then. From a hard to reach spot, so it looks like you had to pin me,”_ Aziraphale had decided.

 _”Oh I can do that,”_ Crowley had purred deliciously. Well. The actual harvesting of the feather hadn’t been fun but the pinning certainly had…

Aziraphale wiped his hands down his face and sighed. Five thousand years and this was the only chance they’d had where they weren’t being watched. It’d be five thousand years before they had another chance, if ever. No. It was foolish to get either of their hopes up. This would do. It had to, there was no other choice. But it had happened, it was theirs, and he even got to chew out Sandalphon as a bonus. And he couldn’t even give thanks for any of it.

He took out the black feather that Crowley had given him in return. This, he would treasure forever.


End file.
